Osteomeles anthyllidifolia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Osteomeles anthyllidifolia |
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The Osteomeles anthyllidifolia, often called ʻŪlei, eluehe, uʻulei, Hawaiian rose, or Hawaiian hawthorn, is a special kind of flowering shrub. It belongs to the rose family, called Rosaceae. This plant naturally grows in many places, including Hawaiʻi (on most islands), the Cook Islands, Tonga, Pitcairn Island, Rapa Iti, Taiwan, and the Ryukyu islands in Japan.
What ʻŪlei Looks Like
The Osteomeles anthyllidifolia plant can grow in two ways. It can be an upright shrub that stands about 3 meters (10 feet) tall, or it can spread out low to the ground.
Its leaves are arranged in a special way on the branches. They are called compound leaves, which means each leaf is made up of many smaller parts. These smaller parts are called leaflets, and there are usually 15 to 25 of them on each leaf. The leaflets are small and oval-shaped, about 1.5 centimeters (0.6 inches) long and 0.7 centimeters (0.3 inches) wide.
The plant produces pretty white flowers. Each flower has five petals, and these petals are about 7 to 11 millimeters (0.3 to 0.4 inches) long. The flowers grow in groups of three to six at the ends of the branches.
After the flowers, the plant grows small, round fruits. When they are ripe, these fruits are white and about 1 centimeter (0.4 inches) across. Inside the fruit, there are tiny yellow seeds, each about 1.5 millimeters (0.06 inches) wide.
Where ʻŪlei Grows
You can find Osteomeles anthyllidifolia in many different places. It likes dry and moderately wet forests, shrublands, and areas near the coast. It also grows on lava plains. This plant can be found from sea level all the way up to high elevations, about 2,320 meters (7,610 feet) up mountains.
It's a very tough plant! It's known as a ruderal species, which means it can grow well and compete with other plants in places that have been disturbed, like areas where the ground has been moved or changed.
How ʻŪlei Was Used
People have used Osteomeles anthyllidifolia for many purposes, both for health and for making useful items.
Traditional Medicine
In traditional medicine, the leaves and the bark from the roots of this plant were used to help with deep cuts. The seeds and flower buds were also used as a mild laxative for children, which is a medicine that helps with digestion.
Other Uses
The wood from a grown Osteomeles anthyllidifolia plant is very strong. Native Hawaiians used this strong wood to make many tools and items. For example, they made ke ʻō, which were harpoons used to catch heʻe (octopus).
They also made ihe paheʻe (javelins) and ihe (spears) for hunting or defense. ʻŌʻō were digging sticks used for farming. For making kapa (a type of cloth), they used hohoa (round beaters) and ʻiʻe kūkū (square beaters). The wood was also used to create ʻūkēkē (musical bows) and ʻauamo (carrying sticks) to transport things.
Young, bendy branches of O. anthyllidifolia were shaped into hoops for ʻaʻei. These were large bag nets, about 25 feet (7.6 meters) long. They were used with kalo (taro) as bait to catch big groups of ʻōpelu (a type of fish called mackerel scad).
The fruit of the plant is safe to eat. It was also used to make a beautiful lavender colored dye.
